The course will give an overview of technical fibres. Materials properties, manufacturing technologies and applications will be described, with particular emphasis to the latest advances in different fields, such as composites, advanced sportswear and protective textiles.

By completing the course, the student will gain knowledge of high performance fibrous materials used in the industry, in consumer goods, in sports gear and protective apparel. He/she will be able to select the most suitable fibres for different applications. He/she will gain knowledge of the manufacturing processes to produce high-performance fibres, yarns and fabrics. He/she will understand the role of apparel in the human body thermal balance.

Polymer science.

Definition and scope of technical textiles. Milestones in the development of technical textiles. Market overview: worldwide consumption of technical textiles by product type and by application. Mechanical properties of textiles: definition of linear density, tensile strength, tenacity, elongation, yield points, modulus, elastic recovery. (6 hours) High performance fibres (20 hours) - Meta-aramid fibers: structure, polymerization, spinning, post-spinning processes, properties, applications for heat and flame protection. - Liquid crystal polymers: lyotropic and thermotropic liquid crystals. Dry-jet wet spinning of high-strength fibres. Para-aramids. Liquid crystal heterocyclic fibres (PBO Zylon, PBT). Liquid crystals aromatic copolyester (Vectran). Applications of para-aramids and other liquid crystal polymers in the field of ballistic protection. - High strength- high modulus polyethylene (Dyneema). Gel spinning. Superdrawing. - Carbon fibres: Application of carbon fibres in composites manufacturing. - Glass fibres: Time-temperature transformation curves. Fibre glass compositions. Optical fibres. Composite: use of fibres in composites, mechanical properties of composites, effect of yarn interlacing on composites properties. Heat and flame protection: inherently flame retardant fibres (Basofil, Kynol, arimid, modacrylics), chemically modified fibres (intumescent systems, FR finishing of cotton, viscose, wool). Textiles for sportswear: introduction to thermo-physiological comfort. Effect of environment, metabolism and clothing on thermal comfort. Criteria for designing high-performance sportswear: wicking properties and liquid management of fabrics, water vapour permeability, air permeability, thermal resistance. Models for predicting comfort: Fanger model and predictive mean vote. Heat and mass balance across the human body (20 hours). Smart textiles (14 hours): stimuli-responsive polymers for smart textiles, phase-change materials, shape-memory materials. Wearable technologies: electronic textiles, conductive polymers, screen printing technique. Use of smart and wearable technologies to improve safety and performance at work and during sports activities.

The course will be made of lectures (48 hours) and work groups (12 hours) during which the students will focus on specific applications of high performance fibres (for instance, agrotextiles) and will deliver a presentation to the class-mates at the end of the course.

AA.VV. Textiles for Sporswear, Woodhead publishing, 2016 AA.VV. Handbook of Technical Textiles, Woodhead Publishing, 2015 AA.VV. Smart textiles for Protection, Woodhead Publishing, 2013

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato progettuale in gruppo;

The exam will be an individual online oral assessment (24/30 maximum grade) plus an online team work presentation (6 points max), which will be discussed by the team members during the scheduled lectures.

Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula); Elaborato progettuale in gruppo;

The exam will be an onsite individual written assessment (24/30 maximum grade) plus the online team work presentation (6 points max), which will be discussed by the team members during the scheduled lectures